Great Estates of the Berkshires

The Gilded Gentleman

Carl is joined by Cornelia Brooke Gilder, noted Berkshire historian, author and Lenox native, for this special show which delves into the artistic and literary life of the Berkshires of Western Massachusetts as well as its role as a Gilded Age summer enclave.

From the early 19th century the lush, green landscape of the Berkshire mountain inspired writers such as Nathaniel Hawthorne and artists such as Daniel Chester French. By the Gilded Age, the vast expanse of land was dotted with the sprawling estates of Vanderbilts, Morgans and Sloans, built by architects well known in Newport circles such as Richard Morris Hunt and Charles McKim. Throughout the 19th century, the Berkshires attracted a British artistic elite as well, from acclaimed actress Fanny Kemble to Henry James.

In this episode, Carl and "Nini" (as she is known to all) discuss Berkshire history as well as three particular estates one can still see today - Ventfort Hall, the great Jacobean inspired manor owned by JP Morgan's sister, Edith Wharton's grand estate The Mount and the "cottage" Pine Acre, once owned by the family of Wharton's husband Teddy's.

Visit the Gilded Gentleman website for more information and images